Sociodemographic evaluation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the state of roraima, extreme north of Brazil: A descriptive study

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease. Consequently, the need for observational research, which aims at a quantitative/descriptive approach based on documentary and field research with the intention of analyzing the prevalence and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in Brazil, especially in the state of Roraima, which are scarce. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in the state, as well as other epidemiological aspects such as the profile of patients. That said, 150 participants were obtained, of which women represented 92,0%. The most patients were between 50-59 (34.7%) and 60-69 (29.3%) years old, and also most declared themselves to be brown (82,0%). It was demonstrated that 65.3% of the patients were not born in the state, and 79.3% live in the urban area. In addition, the declared mean education level was complete high school (38%), and 63.3% of patients as well are unemployed. As for family income, 45.4% is between 1 and 3 minimum wages. Evidently, it is possible to relate advanced age, low income and lack of higher education with the prevalence of RA, as factors such as lack of knowledge reduce the haste with which the patient seeks health services, and low income also makes it impossible to pay for health privately, which offers faster services. Therefore, resident rheumatologists and civil servants in the city state claim that the number of patients with RA can reach up to twice the number of respondents, so the need for multicenter studies with large samples of patients over the years is evident.